Agathis labillardieri (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Agathis labillardieri Warb.

Protologue: Monsunia 1: 183 (1900).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: kayu damar putih (general), kessi, fuko (Irian Jaya)
• Papua New Guinea: New Guinea kauri.

Distribution

Western and central New Guinea; also cultivated in the same region.

Uses

The wood is used as kauri, especially for plywood and veneer as well as for pulp. Trees are tapped to obtain copal ("papeda").

Observations

• A very large tree of up to 60 m tall.
• Adult leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 6-9 cm × 2-2.4 cm, acute, on a 5-7 mm long petiole.
• Mature pollen cones 2.5-3.5 cm × 1-1.5 cm, subtended by a 2-6 mm long peduncle, apical part of the microsporophylls prismatic with a series of lateral facies surrounding a flat hexagonal upper face 1-1.5 mm wide and long, the dorsal part sharply angled.
• Seed cones not shattering on maturity, oval, 8.5-10 cm × 7.5-9 cm, seed bracts roughly obtriangular with nearly straight lateral margins and a distinct projection on one side and an indistinct one on the other.
• Seed with a small and short, broadly acute projection on one upper corner and a wing on the other.

A. labillardieri is locally common and seems to prefer slightly oligotrophic soils which are often podzolized, but it occurs on a wide variety of other soil types from sea-level up to 1700(-2500) m altitude. The density of the wood is 420-520 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content.

Selected sources

79, 116, 163, 259, 263, 331, 453, 461, 478, 748, 773, 774, 775, 776, 780.

Authors

• C.C.H. Jongkind (selection of species)

Main genus page

• Agathis